Food industry lobbying spikes amid GMO fightReutersU.S. food companies spent almost as much lobbying Congress in the first quarter of 2014 as they did in the full year in 2013, a sign the industry may have intensified its fight against state labeling requirements for genetically engineered foods, according to a report released Tuesday.

Christie: Dead man walking or comeback kid?PoliticoAs he heads to New Hampshire Thursday for his second trip to an early presidential state this month, nearly a dozen aides, top supporters and early-state activists believe New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie actually does have a political pulse — and that the ingredients exist if not for a full comeback, then at least a chance to be taken seriously again as a presidential hopeful.

Eric Cantor's final daysPoliticoOutgoing House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., is staging an anticlimactic end to his meteoric rise, missing Republican leadership meetings he once helped lead and skipping some votes on the House floor.

McDonald's ruling could open door for unionsThe New York TimesThe general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board ruled Tuesday that McDonald's could be held jointly liable for labor and wage violations by its franchise operators — a decision that, if upheld, would disrupt longtime practices in the fast food industry and ease the way for unionizing nationwide.

Lawmaker takes soda tax battle to Capitol HillReutersA Connecticut lawmaker on Wednesday will launch the first national effort in years to tax soda drinks, the latest bid by regulators and politicians to stem rising obesity and diabetes rates by curbing the consumption of sugary drinks.

NSBA: Making school food a political issue distorts reality in our cafeteriasThe Huffington PostThe executive director of the National School Boards Association says the current politically driven view of school nutrition leaves out one key factor: reality. "Peel back the good intentions and the celebrity-fueled support of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, and you'll see the practical realities many school districts and students face," Thomas Gentzel writes.

Revised FSMA animal feed regulation sent to OMBFood Chemical News (subscriber story)The FDA has sent changes to the Food Safety Modernization Act animal feed rule to the Office of Management and Budget just days after sending the import revisions for White House review.

Leaked TTIP chapter fails to shed much light on food safety concernsFood Safety NewsLast week, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy leaked a draft chapter of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. The chapter proposed by the European Commission in June concerns sanitary and phytosanitary issues with food safety and animal and plant health.

EU report: 'Sin taxes' on unhealthy foods will workFood NavigatorTaxes imposed on sugary, salty or fatty foods do lead to reductions in consumption, says the European Commission in a new report. But higher taxes could also encourage consumers to simply go for cheaper products, it warns.

WHO: 5 fruits, veggies a day enoughAFP via TV3A new foray into the arena of sound eating says the five-a-day recommendation for fruits and vegetables, made by the UN's World Health Organization in 2003, should be fine.

Journalists subpoenaed in pink slime suitColumbia Journalism ReviewJournalists must hand over documents to BPI attorneys, the latest development in the company's $1.2 billion defamation lawsuit against ABC News and others.

Biggest sources of added sugars to US dietFood Navigator-USAWhile most assume that fast food outlets contribute more added sugar to the U.S. diet than store-bought groceries, new data shows the reverse is actually true.

Corporate vs. decentralized procurementFood Production DailyThe food and beverage industry today is faced with the question of whether corporate procurement is more effective than decentralized procurement. While its challenges set it apart from other industries, F&B organizations share common procurement practices with those in other industry sectors.

Smart labels detect contaminated meat before it hits shelvesPhys.OrgResearchers at the University of Alberta are working on a new way to spot spoiled meat before it hits grocery store shelves.Anastasia Elias and Dominic Sauvageau, professors in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, are developing smart materials to detect harmful microbes that cause foodborne illnesses before products reach consumers.